Globalization, the Pudding and the Question of Power

Michael Hardt & Antonio Negri's Empire (Cambridge, MA: Harvard U Press, 2000), looks at political power, describing Empire as the new model of global sovereignty. The theory of Empire presented is strongly influenced by Negri's own personal experience (he is currently serving a 13-year sentence in an Italian prison for his "membership in an armed band"). The influence of Hardt, who has served as Negri's collaborator & translator throughout the 1990s, is also evident. Modernity is viewed as a crisis throughout Empire's exploration of sovereignty's lineage. In outlining the pre-history of Empire, Negri & Hardt suggest that Empire's global scope has not yet been fulfilled. In keeping with this trajectory of thought is the sense of hope that infuses the work. As the concept of Empire is depicted as being fueled by corruption, this dependence on hope is essential for Hardt & Negri. However, this is perhaps the most obvious weakness in this otherwise very important transdisciplinary project. Too much emphasis is placed on furthering social power, while little attention is given to concrete strategy. 15 References. K. A. Larsen